Brick-column clamp



sept. ,28, w26;

l.. z. HOWARD `BRICKCOLUMN CLAMP Filed septl 2.3, 1921 Syvum/tto@ Zward.

Patented Sept. 28, 1926'.

UNiTED oFFicE.

LEW Z. HOWARD, 0F BOYNTON, KLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO ELIJAH B.

' I WEAVER, 0F MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA.

BRICK-COLUMN CLAMP.

Application md september 23, 1921. serial No. 502,610.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in an automatic brick column clamping and releasing means for brick cutting machines and has for its primary object the provision of. an attachment of the character stated which may be readily applied to or incorporated in various forms of brick cutting machines.

- This invention has for an object the provision of a brick column clamping and releasing means of the character stated which will serve to automatically engage the brick column in such a manner as to assure movement of the movable parts of thecutting machine with the brick -column during the operation of cutting the column into bricks, the attachment then automatically releasing the column and returning to a position of rest until the next cutting operation. I

It is a well known fact that brick cutting machines often fail to perform the cutting operation properly, as the brick column either moves faster or slower than the parts of the machine cooperating therewith and aect'ed by movement of the columnof clay, thereby causing an uneven cutting of the bricks or irregular cutting. Therefore the object of this invention may be said to be r the provision of an attachment which will cause synchronization of operation of the parts ofthe cutting machine .and the column of clay during the cutting of the latter.

A further object of the invention resi-des in the provision of an attachment of the character stated for brick cutting machines'.

which will be composed of the minimum numberof parts of simple construction and arrangement and which will include clamping members rigidly secured to the cutting table and a movable clamping member carried by one of the rigid clamping members for cooperation with the opposite rigid clamping member for the purpose of obtaining a clamping engagement with the column of clay and thereby synchronizing movement of the ycolumn of clay with the cutting table during the cutting operation. Y i 'llhe invention has for a still further object the provision of an attachment of the character stated for brick cutting machines in which means will be provided for automatically releasing the movable clamping member and forcing the same to operative position and also means for returning the movable clamping member to a position of rest and automatically latching or locking the same in the `position of rest, at the proper time, so that the columnof clay will be held properly for movement at the proper rate of speed with relation to the speed of the movement of the cutting table during the cutting operation and thereby considerably increasing the efficiency of the machine.-

The invention has for a still further object the provision of an attachment of the character stated for various types of brick cutting machines which will serve to auto.- matically bring the moving column of clay and themovable parts of the cutting machine into operation during the period of cutting the column into bricks, thereby assuring proper cutting of the column into bricks of uniform size and shape and then immediately releasing the column of clay until the next cutting operation is to be performed. 1

A still further object of the invention. resides in providing an' attachment of this character applicable to a universally used brick machine manufactured by a well known company, the invention being one which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and very eficient in use.

With the 4foregoing andjother objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangmeent of co-operating elements as hereinafter more specifically set forth, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present application and in which C Figure 1 shows the invention in plan with adjacent and cooperating parts of the con- 'ventional form of brick cuttingmachine indicated in this view. l

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail transverse vertical section throughthe invention as shown in Fig. 1 with the cut-ting table apron to which some of the parts of the present invention are applied shown in section.

Referring more in detsn'l to the drawings in which similarl reference characters designate" corresponding parts throughout.. the

vannulus as used on the conventional type of brick cutting machines. A portion of the apron of the cutting table is shownl at 2, while 3 represents a stationary post located forwardly of the machine and having an angularly extended upper arm 4 directed from the side thereof and then turned and extended toward the machine, the free end of the rod 4 or arm being turned to form the stop member 5, the purpose of which will presently appear. A continuous belt 6 is mounted beneath the apron 2 and supported upon rollers 7, the shaft 8 of which may be mounted in suitable bearing 9 secured upon the underface of the apron 2 while a slot 10 is formed in said apron to permit the rollers and the upper run of the continuous belt 6 to project through the apron 2, thereby: bringing the upper face of the upperrun of the belt 6 substantially flush with the upper face of the apron 2. This may be clearly understood by referring to -F ig. 2 of the drawings.

It is evident that the belt 6 is operated in a direction to carry the brick column l1 forwardly and finally discharging the same from the cutting table apron 2, as the column has been severed into bricks, as shown in Fig. 1. This will be clearly understood by parties familiar with such machines.

The rod 4 is a part of the present invention and this invention also includes members mounted on the cutting table apron 2 as will now be described. `These parts comprise longitudinally extended angle irons 12 and 18 spaced fromone another and secured upon the upper face of the apron 2 in parallel relation by suitable covering members 14 passed through the outwardly turned lower flanges 15 of said angle irons 12 and 13. These angle irons are positioned so that the angle iron 12 has its upwardly directed flange adjacent one edge of the continuous belt 6 so that one side of the column' of clay will engage the inner face of this flange, as the column of clay is carried across the apron 2 by the belt 6. The angle iron 13 is spaced from the opposite side of the belt 6 and the belt opening 10 inthe table 2 and the movable angle iron or clamping member 16 is adapted to ride transversely on the apron 2 between the angle iron 13 andthe column of lclay 11. This angle iron orl clamping member 16 is therefore adapted to cooperate with the angle iron 12 which may now be termed a stationary clam ing member to arrest movement of the co umn of clay 11 at times, as will be later apparent. r

As means for roperly supporting and guiding the movable clamping member 16 which has its lower or horizontal flange 17 resting on the upper face of the apron 2, the guide pins 18 are extended outwardly from said movable clamping member 16 and through suitable openings in the angle iron 13, compressed expansion springs or coil springs 19 being extended around said pins 18 between the angle iron 13 and the clam ing memberN 16 to normally act to 'force t e movable clamping member 16 to o erative position toward the stationary c amping member or angle iron 12 and thereby compress the column of clay 7 and arrest movement'of the same upon the end of belt 6. An outwardly directed latch member 20 is carried by the movable clamping member 16, preferably centrally thereof and on the outer face of the outstanding portion of said movable clamping member 16. A latch dog 21 is pivotally mounted in the stationary an le iron 13 and adapted to catch upon t e latch member 22 retaining the movable clamping member 16 in its outermost position. A-spring 22 or the like is employed to resiliently retain the latch dog 21 in normal or operative position, The spring 22 has been shown in Fig. 1 as having one Vend attached to the latch dog 21 while the o posite end is attached to the stationary ang e iron 13. Latch member 20 has an ear 23 formed on its free extremity and to which is pivotally connected the forward end of the releasing lever 24. This releasing member 24 is pivoted to the apron 2, adjacent the rear end of the lever 24, as shown at 25 and a roller 26 is provided on the rear extremity 0f said releasmg lever 24 for engagement at the proper time by one of the cam members 27 carried by the cutting mechanism of the machine, as is usual in practically all of the conventional forms of brick cutting machines. It is evident that when the roller 26 is engaged by one of the cam members 27 on the annulus 1, the releasing lever 24l will be operated to swing upon its pivoted portion 25 and thereby carr the movable clamping member 15 outward y to its position of rest, where it may be caught and held by means of the latch member 20 and the latch dog 21 automatically engaging with one another.

While it is believed that the complete construction and operation of this attachment may be readily apparent to parties familiar with the brick cutting machine and the like without further detailed description, 1t may be briefly stated that the attachmeint as shown in the drawings and described in the foregoing paragraphs is constructed and arranged for attachment to brick cutting machines and the like in .which the cutting mechanism is mounted on a portion of the machine which moves forwardly together with the apron of the Vcutting table and the column of clay previous to the cutting operation andtthen resumes its forward movement for a short distance: after the cutting operation is completed and the column. of clay is released and finally these parts of the machine shall return to their rearward posil `tion or position of rest, as indicated by dotted 'v the cutting table and other movable parts of tion or the machine free to continue their forward movement and then return to their movement of rest until time for the next cutting operation.

` When the apron 2 is in its rearward posiasitlon of rest, the latch dog 21 is rearwar of the stop member 5, aswill be evident from the drawings As the parts' of the machine indicated 1 and the apron 2 begin forward movement, lthe latch dog 21 will engage the stationary s top member 5 l and cause a releasing of the latch member 20to permit'the springs 19 to force the movable clamping member 16 into engagement with the adjacent side of the moving column of clay 11` thereby arresting independent movement. of the'column of clay 11 and temporarily connecting the same with the movable parts-of the machine to assure synchronous movement of the column of clay and the parts of the machine during the cutting operation; Immediately upon the completion of the cutting operation, however,

` one of the cam members 27 will engage the roller 26 and thereby operate the releasing member 121i -to force the movable clamping member 16 outwardly to its position of rest.

This results in the releasing of the column of clay 11, from the machine parts 1 and 2 permitting the continuous forward movement of theparts 1 and 2 andthen their returning rearwardly to their position of rest.

`'Immediately upon the releasing of the column of clay by movement of movable clamping members away from theA same, the latch dog 21 will a ain engage the' latch'member 20 to retain t e movab e clamping member 16 in its position of rest, as should be clearly ap arent. It isV believed that further 'description will be unnecessary as the,opera tion should now be clear.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for adapting the attachment to` one form of brick cutting machine, it will be evident that slight variations in thev construction and arrangement of the parts of the attachment may adapt `the sameto various forms of brick cutting machines te increase the-eiiiciency thereof. It will therefore be evident that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts maybe machine, the combination with a support,I af

movable carrier thereon and a rotaryelementgof a stationary clamping member of.

angular design mountedvon and 'extending longitudinally of said support immediately adjacent said carrier, a laterally movable ,clamping member designed angular in crosssection and mounted for movement on saidk support to cooperate with said stationary clamping member-'in engaging the contents of said carrier, a guide plate mounted stationary on said support in spaced relation to said carrier, said movable clamping member being disposed between said guide plate and statlonary clamping member, guide arms carried by said movable clamping member and disposed through openings in said guide plate, coil springs encircling said guide arms between the guide plate and the movable clamping member to normally force the latter toward the stationary clamping member, means carried on said movable' clamping member and adapted for cooperation with said rotary velement to dispose the movable clamping member laterally on the support against the tension of said springs, means for locking said movable clamping member in its ineffective position, and means for releasing the' last mentioned means to enable the movable clamping member to be disposed toits engaging position.

2. In an attachment for a brick cutting machine, the combination with a support a movable carrierfthereon and a rotary e e.- ment; of a stationary clamping member of angular design mounted on and extending longitudinally of said support immediately adjacent said carrier, a laterallyl movable clampingjmember desi section and mounted or movement on said support to cooperate with said stationary clamping member in vengaging the contents of said carrier, a guide plate mounted stationary on said support in spaced relation to said carrier, said movable clampin member being disposed between said i e plate and stationary clamping mem er, Aguide arms carried by said movable clamping member and disposed through openings in said guide plate, coil springs encircling said guide arms between the gulde plate and the ed angular in cross-- les movableclamping member to normally force leasing arm to rock the latter on its fulcrum effective position, and means for releasing at predetermined intervals, whereby to disthe latch dog of its engagement with the pose the movable clamping member laterlatch at predetermined intervals, as and for 10 all;1 against the tension of 'said springs, a the purposes described.

5 latch dog pivoted on said guide plate and In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

adapted to engage the latch when the.movi ableclamping member is disposed to its in- LEW Z. HOWARD. 

